After a one-week break from conference action, the Chico State softball team returns to California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play this weekend, with the Wildcats needing to post some wins to stay in the thick of the hunt for a postseason tournament berth. The 'Cats will face a very formidable opponent, as Cal State Dominguez Hills—ranked No. 24 in the nation—comes to University Softball Field. The four-game series begins with a doubleheader Friday starting at 1 p.m., followed by a Saturday twin bill getting underway at 11 a.m.
Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats and live streaming video, with links located on the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the softball schedule page. Accessing the live video stream requires a monthly subscription fee that grants users access to every CCAA event on the network, home and away.
Chico State heads into its series with the Toros 13-15 on the season and tied with Cal State East Bay for sixth place in the CCAA standings with a 6-9 record. The Wildcats are looking to flip the script that has seen them drop three straight and seven of their last nine decisions. Last weekend the 'Cats went 2-3 at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, with one run deciding all three losses.
Cal State Dominguez Hills, the No. 24 team in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 poll, is 21-10 on the year and sitting in third place in the CCAA with a 10-6 conference mark. The Toros have won six of their last eight contests; last weekend Dominguez Hills played four non-conference games, sweeping a doubleheader from Biola and splitting a twin bill with No. 9 Concordia.
Dominguez Hills is one of the top hitting teams in the CCAA, and rank second in the conference with 16 home runs. The Toros' pitching staff owns a 1.45 team earned run average—tied for the best among the 10 conference teams.
Chico State is batting .246 as a team so far on the season, with the Wildcat pitching staff ranking fifth in the CCAA with a 2.50 team ERA.
The 'Cats and the Toros split a four-game regular season series last year, but Dominguez Hills beat Chico State twice in postseason play. The Wildcats hold a 62-47 advantage in the all-time series between the two teams.
